Local hunting practice and biodiversity in the Wimbum area of southern Cameroons

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Periodical article

Title:	Local hunting practice and biodiversity in the Wimbum area of southern Cameroons
Author:	Tanto, Talla Richard
Year:	1998
Periodical:	West African Journal of Archaeology
Volume:	28
Issue:	2
Pages:	123-132
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Cameroon
Subjects:	Mbum (Cameroon, Central African Republic) biodiversity environment hunting
Abstract:	This paper examines local hunting practices and beliefs of the Wimbum people of southern Cameroon and the effect of these on the biodiversity of the area. The Wimbum are subsistence farmers. Each Wimbum village has a hunting reserve where biodiversity is unthreatened. By tradition, people are prohibited from exploiting the resources in the reserve except by royal permission. Hunting is allowed once a year after a series of traditional sacrifices at the village shrine. Individual hunting in the reserve is prohibited. The traditional tools used for hunting allow for selective killing of animals and night hunting is not allowed. All these factors contribute positively to the growth of biodiversity in the area. However, despite the willingness of the traditional Wimbum community to protect its hunting reserves, the reserves are presently disappearing fast due to factors beyond the control of traditional laws. Bibliogr.